Ruined
by Hopeless23
Summary: A Michael Corner and Daphne Greengrass fanfic. Usual disclaimers. Please R&R! xoxo


So I rewrote this story, basically because I **love** it. It isn't very popular, but I don't care! It's still the same plot, just some more _stuff_. Anyways, thanks for reading!

* * *

Michael Corner was not the usual guy I, Daphne Greengrass, would pick as my 'victim'. I used to go for charming, handsome, rich, and most importantly, Slytherin. That changed the year after the war ended. Slytherins were treated like a cancer.

When I tell people I'm in Slytherin they start asking about Death Eater parents and all that. Looking for my mark. I may have been in Slytherin but I wasn't the typical Slytherin. Maybe that _but_ hadn't come around until the rise of You-Know-Who, but it's there now. It was a matter of survival after the war.

I've never been particularly outspoken. Despite my change in tune during the year Snape was headmaster, there wasn't anything I really could do. Or at least this is what I tell myself, mainly so I can sleep at night. I mean, screaming my hate for Slytherin, You-Know-Who, and all this pure blood nonsense in the Great Hall would have just gone against every self preserving cell in my body. And there are quite a few. I am a Slytherin.

I had to be in Slytherin. I've thought about this numerous times. I'm not brave (see above), I'm not smart (charms is the bane of my existence), and I'm definitely not loyal (ask the several boyfriends I've had and replaced). As much as I want to blame my parents (I'm sure their partially to blame for how I was raised and who I am but still...) for saying that I would die and go to hell if I wasn't in Slytherin, looking at it from a totally objective third party few, it was where I was going to end up.

Anyways, after the second war, the administration had a new rehabilitation plan in place. Openness. Loving, caring attitude. House separation was something of the past, or at least that was what they were trying to implement. There are still the anti-Slytherin feelings. I mean, we weren't all Death Eaters. We weren't all in love with the Carrows and rooting for Snape to become Headmaster. I mean please. When you get sorted into your house, it doesn't automatically influence your feelings on 'blood' and 'purity'. I'm guilty as much as the next person, or should I say Slytherin, as supporting You-Know-Who back in the day. I'm a product of my parents, but right now I really could care less if your pure, half, muggle-born, cold blooded, whatever.

Back to this new rehabilitation plan. No more passwords to common rooms, people are welcome anywhere. Classes are separated in a completely random nature. Someone might not have anyone from their house in a class. It wasn't likely, but possible. Professors were under strict orders to scatter pairings, if you were already friends you, definitely weren't partners. I've never heard so much grumbling and complaining over partners. I've never seen Professors reaching in such a dramatic fashion to have a reason to make partners either. I mean really, a charms 'study-buddy'? Not necessary. And dare they pair two Slytherins together? Merlin help us if that was going to happen. Everyone else seemed to have made friends in the last year. Dumbledore's Army brought people together across house lines, excluding Slytherin that is. Basically, it really sucked only if you were unlucky enough to be wearing green.

Now you might be wondering where Michael Corner comes into this. I'm still trying to figure this out as well. It wasn't exactly planned, or even remotely expected for that matter. After Harry Potter brought down the You-Know-Who, my parents flopped sides faster than you can say Dark Lord. They weren't involved in any of the Death Eater _thing_, they were just guilty of sitting by and silently supporting the cause. This, in my personal opinion, is almost worse, and a reason for all my self-loathing. I'm one of the students guilty of sitting by and watching countless torture, countless _cruico_ curses. It makes me sick looking back, and I try my best not to. Which brings us back to Michael Corner. Just looking at his face is a constant reminder of the war, of my lack of bravery, loyalty and logic. A constant reminder of why I'm in Slytherin. A constant reminder of my selfish self perseverance. I am a product of my parents.

**Now, as I'm kissing Michael Corner in the charms class room I can't help but try to figure out exactly how we got to this moment. **

After the second war, the administration decided that the previous year was a complete flop. With the D.A. and the tortures and the basic lack of _any_ sort of dedication towards school work, McGonagall declared a redo. Everyone was back, and in the year they had been in. The only change was the first years were doubled. So I was back in my NEWT Charms class, hating life, when I would say the start of this story should occur. I mean, Flitwick threw me a wand and let me into his class, which, blessing or curse? You can decide. I definitely didn't have the grades, and it required endless work to keep up an average mark. After all that pure pain last year, they were calling my mark a flop. Okay, so maybe flop wasn't the technical term, but it worked well enough for me. You think it would be easier the second time? But maybe all that blood, sweat and tears I had poured into Charms the first time around was a bit of an overstatement. I was kind of banking on having a gimme year, and a straight pass through with something around an Acceptable and on my way to whatever I wanted to do after graduation. If there was going to be anything to do after graduation. Which, I wasn't hopeful. So now, after declaring that I would never really have a need to know anything they were trying to teach me, I was back in the dreaded Charms classroom, being paired off. Now you might not have to be the Minster of Magic to figure out who my partner was. Or maybe you do, because if you're betting on Michael Corner, I wouldn't put all my sickles in one bag.

Yup, not Michael but Terry Boot.

He huffed when he sat next to me. It's not like a picked him. I told him that too. "Check the attitude at the door, Boot. I don't want you either."

He turned and glared. I glared right back. Bloody Ravenclaws thought they owned the world. Oh wait, _sorry_, no prejudices. Bloody _Boot_ thought he owned the world. Everyone around the room was moving to their partners, people that Flitwick thought hated each other and were just _misunderstood_. Insert dramatic eye roll here. Then I saw Michael Corner and his disfigured face across the room. My breath caught in my throat. It was the first time I had seen him since before the battle.

I remembered him catching my eye before the Battle of Hogwarts (or at least that was what the history books were calling it). His good looks and quick smile led me to have some pretty weird dreams despite the fact that we never really talked. Main plot: something similar to him flying into a class (usually Charms) on his broom and sweeping me away from my horrible family and horrible house and flying off into the sunset, where we shagged each other senseless. His face was still half beautiful now. The curse that had obviously disfigured him only got half. In my eyes, he was still beautiful. But just looking at that face made me remember. Remember how I had left, how my own damn self perseverance had made me turn and leave my school mates to fight to their deaths.

"See something that bothers you, Greengrass?" Terry hissed at me as he followed my eyes to Michael.

"Bugger off Boots."

"Your _dad_ probably did that to him." My hands balled into fists, "How does that make you feel?" I tried to slow my breath. "Knowing that Mike's face is never going to look the same because someone you know did that to him?" I tried counting down from ten. "I hope every time you look at yourself in the mirror you think about how your _perfect_ face is still the same and Mike's never well be."

Before I knew what was going on I had punched him right in the nose.

Now that might not have been my best move. Clearly not the most thought out, and I definitely wasn't thinking about my consequences of my actions. This rarely happens to me and I was a little surprised myself at my abrupt actions. But I guess everything had really changed. And who would have thought it, but I seemed to have developed a bit of a temper.

Now as a grumble my way to the hospital wing to, excuse me while I puke, apologize to Terry Boot for my _reckless_ actions. I could have punched Slughorn in the face too, for making me do this. I mean, I still had detention, but again, the rehabilitation said we needed to be more open, talk, etc. etc. about what was bothering us. I stood outside the hospital wing and calmed my breathing. It wasn't going to do anybody any good to go in there angrier then I had been when I punched Terry in the first place.

I walked in, and _great_, but who else should be there but the reason for this whole mess in the first place, Michael Corner. We made eye contact, and my breath caught again. He turned so quick I almost thought if he made eye contact with me he would turn to stone or something. Like I was a freaking Balsik. He muttered something to Terry, who I just noticed was sitting on the bed. Terry's eyes narrowed and he looked at me. Michael practically ran over to the window to get away from me as I moved toward the bed.

"Boot." I nodded at him. And noted a little smugly that his nose had swollen up considerably. Madame Pomfery bustled out of her office and began waving her wand around his face.

"What?" He managed to glare as she skirted around him.

"I'm here to apologize." I just spit it out and got it over with.

"What?" This time he sputtered.

"I know." I rolled my eyes. "Slughorn..." I tapered off. "Just sorry." I finished lamely.

"You're sorry?" His face was full of rage. I guess I wasn't the only one who gained a temper. "For what exactly? For punching me? Or for staring at Mike like he was some freak? Or for doing nothing to stop it in the first place?"

Merlin he was _impossible_. I looked over to the window to see Mike staring at me. I guess discretion wasn't a gift Boot was blessed with. Mike turned before I had a chance to even attempt to relay an apology with my eyes.

"I wasn't staring at him like he was a freak." I hissed at the other boy. He tried to stand and continue arguing when Madame Pomfrey pushed him back on the bed.

"Oh no you don't." She turned to me. "You. Out."

She didn't have to tell me twice. I turned on my heel. "I tried." A twirled my fingers behind me as I walked out the door.

**I was momentarily drawn back into the present as my back hit the wall. Michael had walked me back into it. Merlin was he a good kisser. **

So where was I? Now I was fairly certain after the whole, punching his best friend in the face incident, I and Michael Corner wouldn't be spending a bunch of time together. However, I can't help that the Ravenclaw common room was the best place to study. I mean, almost everyone stayed in their original common rooms, but the Slytherin one had just gotten so _depressing_. It was hard to spend any time in there at all. And Gryffindor was so _loud_ and Hufflepuff was so _yellow. _Ravenclaw was really the only place to go. You could study without getting screamed at for sneezing.

I sat down in a blue comfy chair before I realized who was sitting across from me. Bloody Michael Corner. I couldn't get up a leave, that would just be rude and his clearly irrational mind would probably think I couldn't stand the sight of him or something. I had noticed how he had changed, he didn't flirt with girls anymore, he didn't laugh anymore, he wasn't even playing bloody Quidditch this year. THAT was a travesty.

"Hello." I offered before I could stop myself. I'm not good with awkward situations. He looked up and then instantly looked down. I huffed. "I'm fine, thank you for asking. Yourself?"

He looked up again. "Fine." He looked down. I pulled out my charms book and started attempting the latest torture. After several unsuccessful attempts I looked back up to see Michael Corner staring at me, a smile on his half ruined face.

"What?" I shot at him. He shook his head and looked back down. I continued to try before I finally swore and slammed the book shut. Several heads turned at glared at me. I raised my eye brows and scrunched up my face at the Ravenclaws, daring someone to mess with me. No one did, apparently word about Terry had gotten around.

"Having some trouble?" Michael asked.

**He wasn't having any trouble removing my tie. **

"No. This is exactly how the Protean Charm works." I shot him a look. "It's supposed to close books."

I swear to Merlin he _almost_ laughed. I smiled at him despite myself. He looked back down.

"You could offer to help me."

"What?" He looked back up.

"You obviously know what you're doing." I gestured to the slips of paper in front of him, all with his name on them in the same writing.

"Er- I don't think that's the best idea."

"As a Ravenclaw isn't it your job to instil knowledge in people?" He rolled his eyes. "I can't believe you would sit by and watch me struggling over here."

"Oh for Godric's sake-"

"Is that a yes?"

"Aren't you partnered with Terry-"

I cut him off. "Puh-lease. Like _he's_ going to help _me_."

"What happened in class anyway? He wouldn't really-"

I cut him off again. "He _thinks_ I was staring at you because of your face." I was never really one for beating around the bush with him, looking back.

"Oh." He looked back down.

"_But,_" His eyes were back on my face. "I was only staring at you because I didn't really see what the big deal was. It isn't like you were that great before." I lied and smiled to show I was joking. "I was staring because," When had I moved so close to him? I was leaning pretty far across the table, knowing I was giving him a pretty nice look at my cleavage. Was I flirting too? How was I going to end this sentence? I panicked. So I kissed him. And then ran. See? Definitely no Gryffindor here.

Next day in Charms Terry Boot slammed down next to me and threw me my Charms book, the one that I had left in the Ravenclaw common room and didn't have the guts to go get. Michael was across the room, in my conceited mind, making a point not to look at me.

"Do you like him?" He glared at me.

"What?" I sputtered.

"Do you like him?" He repeated.

"Who?"

"Who do you think? Kiss a lot of boys yesterday?" Wow he was testy.

"Testy much?"

"Sorry," he shot, "but my friend is a wreck and having you destroy his heart, because you're hurting for a shag isn't going to help."

"I am _not_ hurting for a shag." I hissed. Irrational? Maybe. He raised his eyebrows at me and I was tempted to punch him in the face again.

"Sorry?" He was patronizing the fact that that was the part of his question I answered. Git.

I glared. Thankfully Flitwick started class. I never thought I'd be caught dead thinking that. I bolted out of class when it ended before I had a chance to even think about maybe having the possibility of even running into Michael Corner. Self perseverance back again.

**But the way he was snogging me at the moment was making me think my self perseverance could use some work.**

I was attempting to study in the Slytherin common room that night when all the moping around finally got to me. I cursed stupid Corner for taking away my favourite study spot. Who was he to do that to me? I mean, why should I avoid him? It's not like I was the one to kiss him. I wasn't flirting with him. I didn't let him ogle my body parts. Okay. So... bugger. But I mean, I could just sneak into the Ravenclaw common room, hide in the corner. I'll even wear my blue sweater to blend in.

So you'll imagine my surprise when he sat down in front of me. I thought my disguise was perfect. I even wore a bloody hat.

"Hello." He stated. I could imagine my cheeks were as red as the damn chairs in Gryffindor. Apparently my mouth and brain were no longer connected. "I'm fine, thanks. And how are you?" He was mocking me.

"I didn't know you were still capable of humour." I shot, finally regaining use of my mouth.

"Still working on that Protean." He ignored me. And he didn't ask, he stated. "I've decided I'll help you with charms."

My mouth fell open. "Seriously?"

"For a small price."

Oh Merlin. He was going to force me into trading sexual favours for tutoring, wasn't he? I mean, it wouldn't really be forcing, but...

"Which would be?"

"I need you to help me convince Terry that I'm not mentally unstable."

Wasn't expecting that. I raised my eyebrows.

"He's hovering over me all the time, making sure I'm okay. It's annoying. And him and Padma's relationship is suffering because he's spending all this time babysitting me and not enough with her and... and.. and I'm fed up." He ended lamely.

"So how do you figure that we go about that?"

"You're going to be my girlfriend."

"What?" I sputtered.

He wasn't even embarrassed. I guess when your face was mutilated, asking someone to be your girlfriend in exchange for tutoring wasn't embarrassing. My face however, was a tomato.

"You obviously don't have a boyfriend right now-"

"Obviously?" I was offended.

"Well you kissed me yesterday." My cheeks flamed again. "And if you start hanging around me, then really, it's a win-win. You're going to get tutoring, people will stop calling you a You-Know-Who lover, with a boyfriend with a face like this, no one could question it. And you might even get to snog me again. It's more like a win-win-win."

"I might _get_ to snog you again?" Who did this boy think he was?

"I think you put the wrong emphasis there. It should have been 'I _might_ get to snog you again?'" He was doing that thing again, where he almost laughs. Tease.

It really _was_ a good offer. I mean, I did need all those things. Except for the last one of course. But, hm. I thoughtfully tapped my chin, playing a little harder to get. I mean, he shouldn't just assume I'm that available. He didn't seem too worried and even rolled his eyes at my dawdling.

After a couple more minutes I agreed. "Okay."

"Good." He moved to sit beside me. "Let's start now."

I grinned, and moved in a bit. I could use a good snog. He almost laughed again. "I meant studying."

"I knew that."

"Just to clarify," he looked at me, "I'm not asking you to be my real girlfriend. I know you don't like me, I don't like you. This is just a..." He searched for a word.

"Business arrangement?" I offered, smirking.

"Exactly."

"Sounds good to me." And it did. No strings, homework help, snogging.

"Nice hat, by the way."

**This business arrangement was getting a little complicated as something pushed into my thigh. I giggled and he pulled away, smiling. "What?"**

"**Nothing." I pulled on Michael's tie and he lowered his face back to mine. **

Next charms class two days later Terry Boot slammed into his chair, as was becoming the usual. "So you're dating?" He looked as though he didn't believe it.

"Yup."

He looked at me sceptically.

"What?"

"Nothing. So I suppose you two will be going to Hogsmeade together."

"I suppose..." I was guarded. This felt like a trap.

"Well, the four of us can go together."

Bugger.

"The four of us?"

"I'll bring Padma."

Bugger _bugger_. A double date? I don't do double dates.

I found myself saying, "that sounds lovely." NOT.

Bugger.

Later that night I was sitting in the Ravenclaw common room with Michael when Terry, lovely as he is, squished himself right beside us on the sofa, pushing Michael practically into my lap.

"Hey there, Terry?" Michael asked slightly confused.

"Here's the happy couple."

I looked at them, confused. Michael rolled his eyes. "Terry here thinks you and me is a little farfetched."

"What?" I laughed calmly. Acting equals forte.

Terry's face turned into a frown. "Well you've been sitting over here for over an hour and I still haven't seen a kiss." He wiggled his eyebrows.

"Oh come off it." Michael laughed easily. "We're not going to kiss for _you_."

"Why not?"

"Why don't you go and snog Padma and then come over and talk to me." Michael challenged.

We watched stunned as Terry walked over to Padma and swept her into a very deep, very long kiss. She giggled as he pulled away and sauntered back over to us.

"Well?" We didn't move. "Common, it's not like it's your first kiss or anything." He laughed, "and I know for a fact you don't have problems with public displayed of affection."

I rolled my eyes and Michael shrugged at Terry. "We're not going to do it."

Terry pouted. For Merlin's sake. I grabbed Michael's tie and his eyes widened in surprise as my lips met his. It started out innocently enough but pretty soon I was the one on Michael's lap. A cat call pulled me out of my trance. Heat rushed to my face as I clumsily got off of him.

"Sorry." I muttered.

"Don't worry about it." He ran a hand threw his hair. Almost laughing again.

**His hands are everywhere and I love it. He spins me around and next thing I know he's easily lifting me onto one of the desks. **

The next week we were in the library. I was reading about Healing potions, doing some sort of completely unnecessary essay, hating it for many reasons. One, I wasn't going to be a bloody Healer, two, I was never going to be a bloody Healer and three, I wasn't going to be a bloody Healer! I tell Michael as much. He rolled his eyes, completely used to me complaining about school. See? Not a Ravenclaw.

"You know what you should do?" I look at him, hoping for some bright insight, "just drop out of school. I mean, obviously it's too much of a strain-"

"Oh come off it." I cut him off, unimpressed.

I literally force myself to stare at the book some more when I'm suddenly interested in the reading. I know, right. Stuff about scars has finally caught my attention. I get excited and I shove the book in front of him before I can really think straight.

"Look!" He looks and shrugs, he shares my enthusiasm for potions. He holds up his own text in front of him on the same page and smiles slightly.

"I've got it here too, Greengrass."

I shake my head, he's not getting it. "They could do this! They could help you!"

The slight smirk he had disappears. He rolls his eyes and looks back down.

"What?" I ask, now upset.

"You think you're the first person to realize that?" He looks like he's trying not to yell. I instantly realize when his eyes meet mine that I'm obviously not as smart as I think I am (Slytherin, not Ravenclaw). "Do you really think that the Healers at St. Mungos haven't read our NEWTs level Potions text?"

Now I feel like an idiot.

"Oh." What else do I say?

"Yeah." His nose is flared and I can tell he's still mad. After a couple of minutes of awkwardness I can't seem to keep my mouth closed.

"So they've tried everything?"

He slams his book shut.

"Yes." He hisses at me. I shouldn't keep going, I know. All the social cues are there but I'm still pushing it.

"Does it hurt?"

"It did." Now he's not smiling, but he's not glaring either. I take this as a sign maybe I can keep going. I've lately been one to push my luck.

"Do you know who did it?" I whisper. This feels like the wrong place to have this conversation.

"No." He shakes his head. "I was turning towards whoever it was. That's why they only got half."

"Does it-" I stop and then realized I'm an idiot for stopping, I've already gone way beyond the point of worrying about hurting his feelings. "Does it go all the way?" I motion to his chest.

He nods.

"_All_ the way?"

"To my feet."

"Like _all_ the way?" I ask. I sent a pointed look to his lap.

Realization dawns on his face. He almost laughs again. "Oh Merlin you would."

I scoff slightly offended.

"Thank Godric it didn't hit that." He shakes his head, smiling now. I can't help but agree. I smile and nod and turn back to my book.

After a couple of minutes I'm surprised when he asks me something. "Does it bother you?" I look up taken aback to see that he hasn't returned to his studies.

"What?" I really don't know what he's talking about.

He motions to his face.

"Your face?" I ask, surprised.

"Yeah." He's sort of twitching around his chair.

"No!" I say it a little too forcefully and quiet my voice instantly as surrounding students looks towards us. I scootch closer to him. I had this weird urge to banish any insecurities.

I grab his hand in mine and stare at them. His scarred red, mine English ivory. I can do this sort of thing now, because we're in the library, and we're 'dating'. I look up and smile at him, his eyes are searching my face.

"You're beautiful." I whisper to him. It's his turn to scoff and he tried to pull his hand from mine. I firmly hold it in place. "I'm not just saying that." He rolls his eyes. I continue on. "I'm serious." He turns toward me and I push some hair out his face, tracing my fingers lightly over the ruin of his skin. He stops moving. He literally freezes. Our eyes lock and I find myself moving closer to him. We've never really been like _this_ together. He moves back just a fraction, but it might as well have been a meter. I blush a red, one that probably has never been seen by our species yet, at his rejection. I instantly release his hand and shift away. "Sorry." I mutter, looking anywhere but at him. And that's when I realize that a good half of the library is watching us. My cheeks, if humanly possible, go redder. I literally want the floor to open up and swallow me. I make some sort of excuse about getting another book and try to stop from running to the back shelf. I stare at the books, trying to calm my cheeks down when I hear his cough behind me. I turn and look and force a sheepish grin on my face.

"Sorry." I laugh awkwardly.

"That was intense." He's staring at me and I could say the same thing about his gaze. His eyes shift slightly looking through the book shelf and then back to me.

"I meant it." I shift my weight. "I think they make you look tough. And... this might be sick." I look at my hands. "I like the way they feel." I almost whisper. When I look back up he's directly in front of me.

"_You_ are beautiful." He mutters.

"Do you hate me?" I say it as he's leaning in to kiss me and he stops.

"What?" This time it's his turn to look surprised.

"For leaving." I stare into his chest, not looking to his eyes. "For not standing up. For not fighting or being brave like you all were." I finally look up. "For not being in the army."

Pause.

"No. Of course not." But he _paused_ before he said that. I step back slightly, hurt. He grabs my arm gently and pulls me back. "You did what you had to do. To survive." He clarifies. "And I'm glad you did." He pulls me into a hug and I hold on to him tightly. I look up to his face inches from mine. He kisses me. And it's beautiful and blissful and I think I might die of happiness. And then I hear them. Giggling behind the shelves, right where Michael had looked earlier. We pulled apart and I see a couple of third year girls running out. Then it hits me. I should have known he wouldn't do that sort of thing unless we had an audience. A force a big smile and hit his arm playfully, not letting myself believe the tricks my eyes are trying to play on me, that he looks surprised too.

"Nice one."

I pretend the ach in my stomach is nothing. Because that's what it is. _Nothing_.

Hogsmeade weekend a month later, I forced myself into the entrance hall. Merlin this was going to be painful.

The three of them were there.

"You're late." Terry, always the charmer.

"I'm fashionably late." I corrected. Michael leaned in and kissed my cheek. He was strangely good at this whole 'fake relationship'. We ate almost every meal together, and he actually would drop me off at the Slytherin common room after our study sessions. He grabbed my hand as they walked down to Hogsmeade. Padma chatted away. She was surprisingly easy to talk to and it was really weird but I found myself not having a completely horrible time. We went into the Three Broomsticks.

Ginny Weasley and Harry Potter walked by. Ginny waved at our table and something weird happened in my stomach. What was that? Oh Merlin. Was that jealously? Did it really bother me that Michael's ex bloody girlfriend _waved_ at him? I felt a little nauseous. I looked at him, he caught me doing that a little too often. I just realized, I liked staring at Michael Corner. The more that I looked at him, the less his face hurt me. Hurt my heart and my pride.

"Are you okay?" He smiled kindly at me. At some point in the last month I had turned my fake boyfriend into my imaginary real boyfriend, all in my mind. This wasn't healthy.

"Fine." I felt sick.

He continued to look at me worried.

"Is it hot in here?" I pulled at my collar. Michael put his hand on my forehead. That was a bit counterproductive.

"You're burning up!" He grabbed my coat.

"I'll be fine, don't worr-"

"No, no. We're going." He shuffled me into my jacket and began ushering us out before I had a chance to say anything. "No you guys stay," He waved Terry and Padma back down into their chairs, "have fun. I'll take care of her."

"I'm seriously fine Michael." I argued as soon as I had a chance to speak, we had already began walking away from the Broomsticks.

"Are you sure?" He glanced at me.

"Yeah." I was. Fresh air and all.

"Well now that we're already on our way back.." I grinned.

"You want to work on that Herbology essay don't you?" I laughed when he nodded. "You are such a nerd." I hit his arm lightly. He raised his eyebrows. No one else was around, and I was clearly flirting. "Sorry, habit."

He smiled at her lightly and ruffled my hair. "None of that, none of that." I swatted his hand away. This was going to end badly. And then he laughed. And I died.

"What was that?" I stopped and stared at him.

"What?"

"That sound."

"What?" He looked confused.

"You laughed!" He wasn't getting it.

"Okay... and?"

"You never laugh."

"I do to!" His face was wrinkled slightly.

I shook my head. "Never." He threw his arm casually around my shoulders as we saw some students in the distance. We passed Draco and a couple other Slytherins walking towards Hogsmeade.

"Greengrass." He nodded at me and I smiled back.

"Hey guys." I felt Michael's arm tightened slightly around my middle. There goes my mind again... but he was busy glaring at the group, his face in a hard frown.

Once we were out of the Slytherins view I realized he hadn't taken his arm off my shoulder. I didn't shrug it off. Just to clarify. This + End = Badly.

**I began unbuttoning his shirt and ran my hands over his stomach. Merlin was it nice, even if half of it was scarred, the half that wasn't made up for it. **

"**Daphne..." I practically swooned as he whispered my name. Bloody hell. **

Terry sat down next to me in Charms a week later. I raised my eyebrows at him, it wasn't his usual manner of entering my presence.

"He laughed yesterday." Terry's eyes were shinning. "Laughed."

"I know." I grinned.

"This is because of you."

Whoa.

"I know I haven't always been... er- very supportive of your relationship but you did something, and he's coming back. A little at a time but, Merlin." He grinned at me. I, however, didn't really feel like smiling. "I hadn't heard him laugh since before, you know." We both looked over at Michael, who was looking back at us, slightly confused. He raised his eyebrows in a silent question. We both shrugged at the same time and Terry laughed while I offered a small, very forced smile. Michael shook his head slightly smiling as he turned his attention back to Flitwick.

Guilty, guilty, _guilty_. Was it me? Dare I let myself think that? No, no, _no_. This had to end. Fast. Snogging a boy, who was just doing it to convince his friends of a relationship, that you were practically in lo- like with, wasn't healthy.

So this Saturday night, when I was continuing my two month, once a week detention sentence for punching Terry, and I ran into Michael, I was pretty disappointed. I was disappointed because I had sworn to myself that I would end _whatever_ there was to end next time I saw him. Thus, I was avoiding him.

"What are you doing?" He was as surprised as I was.

"Coming back from detention." I made a face. "You?"

"Relishing in my freedom." He teased.

"Well I'll leave you to it then."

Chicken.

"Wait." I turned back towards him. "Where have you been these last couple of days? I feel like I have hardly seen you."

Merlin, just do it.

"I've been busy."

Chicken.

"Too busy for your boyfriend?" He laughed. I love the sound. I loved how easily it came now too, like it had been fighting to get out and now that it was, there was no stopping it.

"Actually I have been avoiding you." I burst out.

He frowned. "Why?"

"Because in Charms the other day I was talking to Terry. I really don't think that you need me to be an excuse for you to get some alone time anymore."

"Are you fake breaking up with me?" He seemed surprised.

"I think its best. I mean, I'm having these weird dreams again. I enjoy snogging you way too much for someone who... shouldn't."

"Dreams?"

I blushed. "Not the point."

"What is the point?" He pushed some hair out of my face. I swallowed. Couldn't he see what he was doing to me?

"Well. Obviously I like you more than I've let on."

Duh.

"And it isn't healthy for me to continue with this." I shrugged my shoulders. "I mean, I've let my mind get to far away from me already. I'm almost pretending like you're my real boyfriend."

He was twirling my hair in his fingers. "Would that be so bad?" He leaned closer, I could smell his stupid shampoo, and whispered in my ear.

Was that real? I didn't know, couldn't function. He was too close and there wasn't anyone around to keep me grounded. When I was in his proximity I had a tendency to get carried away. His eyes locked on mine as he moved away from my ear.

"We need to practice." He smiled at me.

"What?" I stammered.

He pulled me into the nearest class room. The charms class room. "Charms silly."

His lips were on mine in a second. I felt like I was on fire. This was wrong, wrong, _wrong_. He was torturing me. I just told him I actually fancied him and here he was snogging me in an empty clas-

Empty?

I pulled away.

"What are you doing?" I breathed at him.

"Seems pretty obvious." He laughed.

"Do you fancy me too?"

"I thought that was pretty obvious too." He grinned, his half ruined grin.

I grabbed his face with both hands and pulled his mouth to mine.

**Now, as I'm kissing Michael Corner in the charms class room I can't help but try to figure out exactly how we got to this moment. **

* * *

**Please review! xoxo**


End file.
